Dad sues game companies for $1.50 after son became “addicted” to video games

A father in China has filed a symbolic $1.50 lawsuit against four major gaming companies after claiming their anti-addiction systems failed to stop his son from playing excessively.

The man, identified by his surname Qin, sued Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, and 37 Interactive Entertainment in Tanghe County, Henan province.

According to the South China Morning Post, Qin is seeking just 10 yuan, around $1.50, in compensation. However, he said the lawsuit is not about money.

Instead, he hopes the court will force gaming companies to properly enforce rules designed to prevent minors from becoming addicted.

Qin said his son spent years playing online games, often staying awake until 3 or 4 AM during weekends at home. Data from one gaming account reportedly showed he had played for 1,868 hours since March 2024, averaging 2.44 hours per day.

The teenager allegedly bypassed restrictions by registering an account with his adult sister’s identification.

Father calls for stricter gaming safeguards

The lawsuit was filed roughly one month after Qin’s son, who turned 18 earlier in 2026, swallowed 18 fever pills on May 23.

He later became seriously ill, collapsed, and was rushed to hospital, where he was diagnosed with drug poisoning. He recovered following treatment.

Pexels

However, the teenager has not told his family why he took the medication. Qin believes the incident may have been connected to his son’s gaming habits, but that has not been confirmed.

China introduced strict limits on gaming for minors in 2021. Under the country’s regulations, children are only permitted to play online games between 8 AM and 9 AM on Fridays, weekends, and official holidays.

Qin’s case was originally scheduled to be heard on July 6, but proceedings were postponed after several of the companies challenged the court’s jurisdiction. No new hearing date has been announced.

This isn’t the first time gaming companies have been sued. Back in 2023, a mother in Arkansas sued video game giants like Activision Blizzard, EA, Epic Games, Microsoft, and Ubisoft for damages caused by her son’s gaming addiction.

In another wild case, a young gamer sued Nintendo for “immoral” microtransactions in Mario Kart Tour after accidentally using their dad’s credit card.